Roger Parr

Thornton Cleveleys War Memorial 1914-1918 | Index

Roger Parr

Roger Parr was born in Ainsworth, Lancashire in 1887, the younger child of John Edward Parr and his wife Mary Brewster who married at St. Andrew, Radcliffe on 21 February 1884. Roger had a sister, Nellie, who was born on 10 April 1885 at Ainsworth.

John Parr was a school teacher who had trained at St. John's Training College, Battersea, the first teacher training college in England. By 1891 the Parr family had moved to Harrowside Lane, South Shore, Blackpool. Nellie had also become a teacher by the time the next Census was taken on 31 March 1901 when the Parr family were living in the School House, School Lane (now School Road), Marton. Roger, aged 13, was still in school.

Around 1906 John retired from teaching and took over Poolside Nursery, Wyre Road, Skippool which he ran with Roger under the style "Parr and Son". It appears that the nursery had been created around the turn of the century and operated by W J Ireland until he relocated to Slyne Nurseries, near Lancaster. As well as the land, the property included a large house and was taken on an annual tenancy.

In 1909 John gave up work and Roger continued to run the nursery with help from his sister Nellie but as the Census of 2 April 1911 shows, the whole Parr family continued to live in the house. Roger's mother Mary Parr died in 1915 aged 65.

An Army Reservist, Roger attested at Lancaster in the Royal Garrison Artillery on 19 May 1916, having previously expressed a preference for the horse transport arm of the Army Service Corps. He was posted to the 184 Heavy Battery on 10 June and after training was sent with the British Expeditionary Force sailing from Southampton to Le Havre on 30 September 1916. Roger was transferred to the 112th Heavy Battery on 9 October 1916 and promoted to Acting Lance Bombardier on 25 December 1917.

As next of kin, John Parr received a telegram from the War Office informing him that his son had died in a field hospital, No. 3 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station), on 6 November 1918. Unfortunately he was unable to obtain more details for a week as the telegram should have stated No. 3 Australian CCS. Roger died from pneumonia resulting from exposure whilst performing military duties. He was aged 31 and unmarried.

Lance Bombardier Roger Parr, 80147, 112th Heavy Battalion, Royal Garrison Artillery is buried in Plot 2, Row A, Grave 28, Kezelberg Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.